Swans coach John Longmire has become accustomed to shuffling the decks this season trying to determine his best line-up due to their well-documented injury troubles.
That is the case again this week after Tippett (knee) and Tom Mitchell (ankle) were both ruled out of the preliminary final against the Dockers at Patersons Stadium.
Once his suspension was complete, Tippett had an excellent second half of the season, kicking 35 goals from just 12 games to lead the club in that department.
The Swans won eight of those games, but their record was actually slightly better when they played without the former Crow.
The defending premiers picked up eights wins and a draw from their first 11 games of the year and then comfortably knocked over Carlton in last week's semi-final, having lost Tippett in the opening minutes.
Preview: Dockers v Swans
Prior to Tippett's debut for his new club, Ben McGlynn was leading the goal tally with 24 through 15 games before he picked up an injury, and he is tipped to return from a calf problem to face the Dockers.
Jude Bolton (28 goals), Mike Pyke (27), Kieren Jack (24), Luke Parker (21) and Jesse White (20) have also all shown good goalscoring form over the course of the year.
Longmire feels his players can adapt once more without their spearhead.
"This year has been about making sure we adapt and being able to cover for players and adapt our style of play, adapt the personnel," he said.
"And to this point we've been able to do it OK.
"The challenge is to keep going with that, but we're confident from the weekend's game – our pressure was good, our run, our two-way transition was really strong.
"We just have to make sure we maintain that this week."
Lewis Roberts-Thomson is an outside chance of returning for his first game since round four, but the Swans are more likely to alter their structure to face Freo.
In their qualifying final defeat to Hawthorn, a Swans line-up featuring Tippett, White, Pyke and Shane Mumford was criticised for being too top heavy.
Pyke and Mumford are both comfortable in the forward line, while White's three goals, 12 disposals and five marks playing without Tippett in round 23 against the Hawks showed he can hold down a key forward post.
Mumford believes they are well equipped to face Fremantle without their leading goalkicker.
"I guess it'll be a lot more like the way we played against the Blues," he said.
"In the first half of the year we were winning games without 'Tippo' there and our forward line was working all right.
"I don't know what the coaches will go with this week … but we can take faith out of what we've done all year and I'm sure we'll have someone there to give a strong contest and help us win the game."
Mitchell's season-ending injury is another blow, as the 20-year-old had added some extra toughness and guile to the team since his debut in round 10.
He requires surgery for torn ankle ligaments, but Longmire was hopeful Mitchell would recover in time for their next pre-season.
"He's come into the team at the half-way point after a couple of seasons of disappointment with injury," Longmire said.
"He didn't have a pre-season this year, it took him seven or eight games to get his fitness up in our reserves, and he came in and had a real impact in the second half of the year playing as a half-forward and on the ball.
"He's a real hard nut and unfortunately it's ended badly for him this season with injury.
"I'm just hoping he's able to get over that injury quickly."
Twitter: @AFL_JD
